ANMELDENCharlotteUncertainty had always been my favorite kind of emotion to work with.Facts were unchangeable. Truths could be verified, challenged, or defended with evidence.Uncertainty, on the other hand, worked very differently. It encouraged people to ask questions without demanding answers. It made them fill the empty spaces with their own fears, assumptions, and suspicions. All of those self-created doubts were often far more powerful than any lie I could have invented for them.That was why a small smile found its way onto my face as I walked away from the council corridor. It wasn’t wide enough to attract attention, nor careless enough to betray what I was thinking. It was the kind of satisfied smile that disappeared the instant another person looked in my direction.The council was worried.I had seen it in Raguel’s eyes, even though he had answered my question with the calm confidence that came so naturally to him.“Everything is fine.”Maybe he truly believed those words or he j
RaguelThe council chamber was already buzzing with tension by the time I arrived. Although everyone was trying to maintain a composed appearance, I couldn’t help but notice the uneasy glances they kept exchanging.The moment I stepped inside, every conversation died and the room fell silent.I walked toward my seat at the head of the table, acknowledging the council with a small nod before taking my place.“Good morning,” I said.“Good morning, King Raguel,” several voices answered in unison.I rested both hands on the table and slowly looked around the room, studying the expressions before me. None of them looked particularly eager to begin.“I was told this couldn’t wait.”Maximus exchanged a brief glance with Victor before clearing his throat. “We’ve received reports from the royal archives.”I frowned. “The archives? What about them?”Without a word, another council member, Elias slid a small stack of reports across the polished table toward me. I picked them up and began reading
LyraFor a few moments after I woke up the next morning, I remained where I was, staring up at the ceiling as the first rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains and spread softly across the room.Normally, waking beside Raguel made mornings feel lighter. Even when he was already awake, he’d usually be reading reports at the table, quietly reading while waiting for me to wake, only to tease me for sleeping in.Today, however, he was gone again.The room felt unusually quiet, and the silence seemed heavier than it should have been.I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes, hoping I could drift back to sleep for a little while longer, but my mind refused to cooperate. Instead, my thoughts betrayed me, dragging me right back to the conversation Raguel and I had shared over dinner the previous evening.Do leaders ever keep the full truth from the people they love?The question echoed in my mind as clearly as if I’d just asked it.I let out a quiet sigh before whispering to myself, “No
RaguelMost people wouldn’t have caught it.They would have seen her smile, heard her soft ‘welcome back,’ and assumed everything was perfectly fine. They would’ve believed she was just tired after spending the day around the palace.But I knew my wife.I’d learned the smallest changes in her expressions long before either of us admitted what we felt for each other—the way her smile didn’t seem to reach her eyes, the slight delay before she answered my questions, the way she kept pulling the corner of her bottom lip in between her teeth.Something had happened today but I just didn’t know what.I wrapped my arms around her the moment I crossed the room, hoping she’d relax against me the way she always did. Her body leaned into mine instinctively, and for a brief second I allowed myself to believe I was imagining things.Then I pulled back to look at her.She smiled again, a gentle yet somewhat cautious smile.“Did you have fun today?” I asked with a grin, hoping to tease her into forg
LyraWhen I woke up the next morning, it was to an empty bed.For a few seconds, I just stared at the ceiling above me. My hand instinctively reached across the mattress, only to touch cool sheets, meaning he had been gone for long. A small frown settled on my face.I sat up slowly, rubbing the last traces of sleep from my eyes before glancing toward the clock resting on the fireplace mantel. It was barely morning.He had mentioned something about an emergency council meeting. I remembered him saying it last night while cuddling me in bed.I let out a slow breath before climbing out of bed. The room suddenly felt much larger without him wandering around, teasing me for sleeping too much or stealing my blanket because he enjoyed hearing me complain.It was strangely quiet.After freshening up and changing into a comfortable dress, I headed for the door. Before I got there, my eyes landed on the desk in the corner of the room. For a moment, I considered pretending the letters didn’t exi
LyraI smiled to myself as I watched the servants carry the last of the dishes into the dining room. One after another, they set each platter in its proper place before making small adjustments.The candles cast a warm glow across the table, the silverware gleamed under the chandelier, and the rich aroma of roasted meat and herbs drifted through the room.I stood there for another moment, letting myself admire the scene I had spent the better part of the afternoon preparing. It wasn't the food or the decorations that mattered most to me tonight. It was what I hoped we might accomplish.If this dinner went well, maybe things between Raguel and Miguel would finally begin moving in the right direction. They didn't have to become inseparable overnight, but if they could simply sit through one meal without hostility, then maybe there was still hope for them.That thought stayed with me as I walked inside.Miguel was already there, standing beside his chair with an amused smile on his face.
ONE: LYRAHow To Ride a Guy like a Pro. Slowly sit over him and insert his dick into your pussy while maintaining eye contact with him. Place your two feet under his thighs and slowly rotate your hips. You can milk his penis by shooting your butt out, then go in slowly and continue with the rota
LyraBy the fifth shower, even the freezing water failed to quench the heat raging within. It only made me more hypersensitive, turning every drop of icy cold water into an agonizing tease against my flesh.I stepped back into the silver-bathed bedroom, my silk nightgown clinging to my damp body li
LYRAI woke up feeling like I had been dragged through something I couldn’t remember. My body felt heavy and weak, with an aching, unfamiliar soreness. I lay still, trying to piece together fragments of the night before. Flashes—red eyes, a voice, a hand around my neck, the words, “Your husband sold
LYRAThe color completely drained from Aaron's face. His palms tightened into fists, and his Adam's apple bubbled up and down. His lips thinned into furious lines, and I expected him to wake up and put an end to this. I expected him to call the deal off, drag me protectively to his side, and annou







